Thread-tension device



H. H. GOVE.

THREAD TENSION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED IAII.2I. I9I8.

1,361,716. Patented Dec. 7,1920.

J2 eg-ej 20 /0 ,8e 22 j 20 InlrTg-i I 24 L50 I II; I IIII -IIIII ,e 40 lUNITED sTATss PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY n. Govn, or Briana-Form, MAINE, AssIGNoR or ONE-HALF To HOWARD n.

WHITEHEAD, or sAco, MAINE.

THREAD-TENSION DEVICE.

isernia.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. *7, 1920.

To @ZZ whom t'mag/ concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY H. Govn a citizen of the United States,residing at Biddeford, in the county of York and State of Maine, haveinvented certain lmprovements in Thread-Tension Devices, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, vlike reference characters on the drawings indicatinglike parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to tension devices of the character used inwinding, spooling, and other machines, to maintain a tension or drag onthe thread, yarn, twine, or similar material, handled by the machine.For

convenience, this material will be referred to hereinafter as thread. y

rllhe invention aims to devise a tension device of the characterindicated which will be simple in construction, in which the thread canbe easily inserted or removed, which will maintain a substantiallyuniform tension on the thread at all times, in which the degree oftension can be readily adjusted, and which will not be subject toclogging, due to accumulations of lint or other foreign material.

The invention is particularly concerned vwith thread tensions of thedisk type; that is. tension devices having two disks in face to faceengagement with each other, one or both of which is rotatable, andbetween which the thread is lightly pinched, some means, usually aspring, being employed to press the disks lightly together. Tensions ofthis type are probably'more commonly used than any other on spooling andwinding machines. Among their advantages may be mentioned the fact thatthey are easily threaded, are not subject to localized wear, and whenkept in good operating condition, they exert a fairly uniform tension onthe thread. A very serious objection to these tensions, however, is thefact that they are liable to become clogged by lint or other foreignmaterial carried by the thread, and such clogging tends to hold thedisks apart and thus relieve their tension on the thread. It alsoprevents the rotation of the disks thus tending to cause the thread towea-r grooves in the disks. Furthermore, the use of springs isobjectionable in tensions of this character vsince it is practicall fimpossible to adjust the springs so that any two tension devices willexert exactly the same tension on the thread. The present invention aimsto devise a tension device of the disk type that will have all thepresent advantages of tension devices of this type and will not besubject to the objections just mentioned.

The invention also is directed to the improvement ofother features ofdevices of this character, including the thread guiding means, thesupport for the thread supply, and the provision for adjustment, all ofwhich will be readily understood from the following description of theembodiment of the invention at present preferred, and the novel featuresof which will be pointed out more particularly in the appended claims.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in crosssection, showing an apparatus embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the bracket head and threadtension device supported thereby;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional of the parts shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 as a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical crosssection, of the thread-engaging disks of the tension device;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation vshowing a detail of construction; and Fig. 7is a plan view illustrating a modified construction of thread guide.

Fig. l of the drawings shows the invention as applied to a spooler. Theapparatus comprises a bracket 2 supported in a block- 4 which is mountedon the bar 6, with whichV these machines usually are provided, a setscrew 8 being employed to bind the block on the bar. A bracket head 10is mounted at the forward end of the bracket 2 and supview - leg beingsecured in a part 16 of the bracket VWhile the shorter leg is free. Thesupport is made of proper dimensions to lfit in the bore of the ordinaryempty bobbin or core and the spring action of the free leg of thesupport 14 holds the bobbin firmly in position while permitting an easydisengagement of the bobbin whenever necessary. It will be noted thatthe member 14 supports the bobbin with'its axis directed toward thethread tension device that is mounted on the bracket head 10.

The bracket 2 sets in a slot formed in the upper side of the block 4 andis held in adjusted position by a set screw 18 threaded through one sideof the block and bearing against the bracket. This arrangement enablesthe workman to adjust the bracket longitudinally of itself through theblock 4 to suit various operating conditions and to secure the bracketin any adjusted position.

The thread tension device comprises a lower disk 20 and an upper'disk22, both disks being dished or convex in shape and having their convexfaces in engagement with ealch other, so that they are adapted to bear-on a thread running between them at points adjacent to their centralportions while their margins flare away from each other and facilitatethe placingof a thread between them. It will be noted that the brackethead 10 is of goose-neck shape so that its upper face occupies aposition inclined somewhat from a horizontal plane. An aperture 24extends through the head 10 in a nearly vertical direction. A shallowcounter-sink is formed at the upper end of this aperture and the marginof the lower disk 2O fits in this countersunk seat.

Formed centrally inthe disk 20 is a relatively large aperture or portand the material of the disk along the edge of this aperture is turneddownwardly, forming an annular lip, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5.The upper disk 22 is provided with a central 'hub 28 of substantiallyfrusto-conical shape that normally is positioned in the:

aperture in the lower disk and the top or smaller end of this'hubadjoins the central portion of the disk 22 and is roughened or knurled,as indicated at 30, so that the thread running between the disks andcoming in contact with the roughened surface of the hub will rotate theupper disk 22. The upper disk is cent-ered with reference to the lowerone by a bolt or pin 32 that passes `freely through a hole formed in thehub 28 and is guided in an appropriately vertical hole formed in aprojection 34 extending fo-rm is employed.

into the aperture 24 from one side of the bracket head, .the hole inthis projection being concentric with the aperture 24. A series ofweights 3G resting on a nut 38 .threaded on to the lower end of the pin32 act through this pin to press the upper disk yieldingly against thelower disk. ln order to provide for the convenient removal of theweights 36 from the pin 32 or the placing of them on the pin, this pinmay be flattened, as indicated at 40, and each weight may be providedwith a slot just wide enough to admit this flattened portion. Aself-lubricating friction surface is provided between the pin 32 and thehub 28 by grooving one of these members, -preferably the hub, asindicated atr42, Fig. 5, and filling the vgrooves with graphite orAsimilar lubricant.

The thread is led from the bobbin or cop 12 through the tension deviceand over the traverse bar 44 Vto the spool 46, as clearly shown inFig. 1. It is usual to provide a thread guide between the tension deviceand the source of thread supply and in the present construction a threadguide of novel This device comprises an eye 48 which performs the normalthread guiding function of a device of this character. ln theconstruction shown this eye is formed by bending a piece of wire into VaU- shape and making one leg Vof the U much longer than the other, theshort leg being fastened in a hole drilled vertically in the upper faceof the bracket head 10. The other leg, designated at 49 in Fig. 2, eX-tends downwardly close beside the vertical. wall of the bracket head,leaving a space between these two parts through which the thread may beguided into the eye 48. From the lower end of the part 49 the wire isbent to forman upwardly inclined thread deflecting member 50 and is thenybent to form a horizontal portion 52 which is snapped over behind theeye 48.

It will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 1 that the naturaloperation, of threading the apparatus after the bobbin has been placedon the support 14 is to swing the thread around the tension devicebringing it into contact' with the upper curved part of the bracket head10 or against the lower disk 20.and then carrying it over the traversebar 44 to the spool 46. The pull of the spool oir the thread draws thethread in between the disks 2O and 22 into contact with the hub 30 andalso brings the thread against the inclined part 50 of the thread guide.As the tension on the thread is increased, it is guided downwardly lordeflected by the member 50 into the vertical slot between the parts 49and 10 and it then travels upwardly through Vthis slot into the eye 48.`This action is entirely automatic and is produced merelyby the pullexerted on rio the thread either by the operative or by the spool. Thethreading operation'thus is made very simple and quick.

It will be noted that the upper disk 22 is dished to such an extent thatthe head 33 of the pin 32 lies nearly level with the upper edge of thedisk. This arrangement avoids any liability of catching the thread underthe head of the pin during the threading operation. If the thread comesin contact with either of the disks or with the upper part of the head10 it will be guided into the proper position between the disks by thesubsequent pull exerted on it. The thread guide also presents theadvantage of preventing the accidental escape of the thread from the eye48. That is, when the spooling operation is carried on at high speedsthe'thread balloons of the end of the bobbin; and the thread guidesordinarily employed are; liable to permit the escape of the thread if itcomes from a bobbin that is wound in the opposite direction to that forwhich the guide is intended. This construction, however, effectuallyprevents the escape of the thread from the eye 48 due to the ballooningaction whether the thread is wound either right or left hand.

It will now be understood that when the spooling` operation is beingperformed, the thread will be pinched lightly bet-Ween the disks 20 and22 and that the engagement of the thread with the hub 30 of the upperdisk will rotate this disk and distribute the wear uniformly over theface of the disk. The drag of the upper disk on the lower one will causethe lower disk to creep slowly around in its seat, thus reventinglocalized wear on this disk. Oliviously the tension or drag exerted onthe thread by the disks may be varied at will by using weights 36 ofsuitable mass. This construction maintains a very uniform tension on thethread, notwithstanding the usual variations in the dimensions of thethread and the presence of slubs or other imperfections in it.

The provision of the opening or port in the lower disk 20 produces thevery important advantage of keeping 'the tension de` vice free from lintor other accumulations of foreign materials that are liable to gatherbetween the disks. As above stated, this has been one of the seriousobjections to disk tensions of the construction heretofore proposed, notonly because this foreign material releases the tension of the disks onthe thread, but also because it prevents the normal rotative movementsof the disks. In the construction shown, any foreign material thatenters the space between the disks drops through the port in the lowerdisk and this space thus is kept free from ac.l cumulations of foreignmaterial. The tapered construction of the upper end of the port 84prevents this lint or other foreign material from accumulating in theneighborhood of the thread engaging disks. Practically all opportunityfor lint to enter the bearing surface between the pin 32 and the upperdisk 22 thus is eliminated. This is a. very important practicaladvantage since it insures the constant maintenance of the disks intheir normal rotatable condition. Furthermore, if after a long period ofoperatin enough lint should work into the bearing between the upper diskand the pin 32 to prevent the free rotation of the disk relatively tothe pin, the pin is always free to rotate with the disk so that thenormal action of the disks would not be interfered with. In fact, thepin always does rotate with the disk although probably not 'at the samespeed as the disk. The fact that both the pin and the disks, therefore,are freely rotatable is an important practical advantage. Since the pin32 slides freely in the member 34, any snarl or bunch of thread that isdrawn into the tension may be readily removed by lifting the upper disk22, which operation affords free access to the space between the disks.The peculiar shape of the hub 28 tends to prevent lint from accumulatingaround the portion of the pin immediately below the hub and the motionof the hub also tends to throw the lint away from the pin throughcentrifugal action.

Fig. 6 shows the Vmethod of mounting the support 14 in the member 16 ofthe bracket. From an inspect-ion of this figure it will be seen that thelong leg of the member 14 is inserted in a hole drilled in the part 16,and a blunt ended tool is then inserted in the hole 54 and is struck ablow with a hammer which serves to flatten out the wire. The attenedplace so produced holds the support against twisting and also' againstwithdrawal from'the member 16.

The ease with which this device may be threaded is an importantadvantage of this construction, but it is possible for a very carelessor unskilled operator to pass a thread through the thread guide 48without inserting it between the disks. In order to avoid thisdifficulty, I may construct the thread guide as shown in Fig. 7, inwhich the member 52, corresponding to the member 52 of the constructionshown in. Figs. 1, 2 and 4, is bent back upon itself and then turned atan acute angle and extended to a point adjacent to the periphery of theupper disk 22, forming the member 56. With this construction it ispractically impossible for thc operator in performing the ordinarythreading action to thread the guide without also threading the tension.

It is obvious that the lower disk and the head 10 might be madeintegral, but, for most purposes, I prefer the construction shown bothfor manufacturing andoperating reasons.

hio

While I have herein shown and described the best embodiment of theinvention of which l am at present aware, it is obvious that thisembodiment may be modified in minor particulars without departing fromthe spirit or scope of this invention.

What I claim as new is: t

1. A thread tension device, comprising two disks in face to faceengagement with each other and having marginal portio'ns that flare awayfrom each other, one of said disks having a central aperture formedtherethrough providing a free space through which lint and foreignmaterial may be discharged from between the central portions of thedisks. supporting means for said apertu'red disk, a pin projectingthrough said aperture, means for-centering said pin in said aperture,and means acting on said pin to hold the second disk yieldingly inengagement with said apertured disk.

2. A thread tension device, comprising two disks in face to faceengagement with each other and having marginal portions that flare awayfrom each other, one of said disks having a central aperture formedtherethrough providing a free space through which lint and foreignmaterial may be discharged from between the central portions of thedisks, supporting means for said apertured disk, a hub formed on theother disk and positioned in said aperture, said hub having a roughenedsurface to be engaged by the thread running between said disks, andmeans for pressing said disks yieldingly together.

3. A thread tension device, comprising two disks in face to face-engagement with each other and having marginal portions that flare awayfrom each other, one of said disks having a central aperture formedtherethrough providing a free space through which lint and foreignmaterial may be dis charged from between thecentral portions of thedisks, a bracket head supporting the marginal portion of said apertureddisk, a pin projecting centrally through the `other disk, said brackethead being provided with a guide for said pin, and a weightv acting onsaid pin to cause it to press the second disk yieldingly into engagementwith said apertured disk.

4. A thread tension device comprisingv a bracket head having an apertureformed therethrough, a disk overlying said aperture and having itsmarginsupported on said bracket, said disk being substantially convex inshape and having a central aperture formed therethrough with the partsof the disk adjacent to said aperture bent inwardly, a second diskhaving a convex face in engagement with the convex face of said irstdisk and having a hub positioned in said aperture, a pin passing looselythrough said hub, a guide for said pin formed in said bracket head, anda weight acting on said pin to cause it to hold the second diskyieldingly in engagement with the first disk.

' 5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a'thread tension device, a thread supply mounted adjacent to said device,and a thread guide positioned between said supply and said tensiondevice, said guide comprising an eye and a thread deiecting portionpositioned in the-path of movement of the thread during the act ofleading it from said supply through said tension device and constructedYto guide the thread into said eye.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a threadtension device, a thread supply mounted adjacent to said device, and athread guide 'positioned between said supply and said tension device,

said guide having an eye anda lateral opening through which the threadmay be guided into said eye, said opening being located with referenceto the eye to prevent the accidental escape of the thread whether comingfrom said supply in either a right hand or left hand wind, and aninclined member shaped and positioned to guide the thread into saidpassage when it is led from said supply and inserted in said tensiondevice. j y

7. A thread tension device comprising two relatively rotatabledisks inface to face engagement with each other, one above the other, said diskshaving marginal portions that flare away from each other, and the lowerof said disks having an aperture formed therethrough providing a freespace through which lint and foreign material carried by the thread maybe discharged from between the central portions of the disks, meansforsupporting the lower disk, means for holding the upper disk centeredwith reference to the lower disk, and a thread engagingr member in saidaperture.

8. A- thread tension device comprising two disks in face to faceengagement with each other, one above the other, said disks havingmarginal portions that flare away from each other, and the lower of saiddisks having an aperture formed therethrough providing a free spacethrough which lint and foreign material carried by the thread may bedischarged from between the central portions of the disks, stationarymeans for supporting the lower disk, means for guiding the upper disk byengagement with the peripheral portion thereof for rotative movement andholding it centered with reference to the lower disk, and a threadengaging member in said aperture.

9. A thread tension device comprising two relatively rotatable disks inface to face engagement with each other, one above the other, said diskshaving marginal portions that fl'aie away from each other, and the lowerof said disks having an aperture disk, means eoperatin with said pin toformed therethrough providing a free space hold it centered With reerence to the lower through which lint and foreign material disk, andthread guiding means including a 10 carried by the thread may bedischarged thread engaging part in said aperture.

5 from between the central portions of the In testimony whereof I havesigned my disks, stationary means for supporting the name to thisspecification. lower disk, a pin supported by the upper HENRY H. G OVE.

